FITCHBURG -- Singapore Restaurant & Lounge was cited by the city's Health Department for concerns over food-safety training and plumbing, officials said, while the restaurant's co-owner said Monday he elected to close temporarily for renovations.

The Health Department received a voice message on Oct. 23 from a person who said they became sick after eating at Singapore, said food and milk inspector Stephanie Holinko.

Holinko said attempted to reach the person who left the message to determine whether food prepared at Singapore could have caused the reported illness, but was unable to.

She said her department also received two complaints, one in September and the other in November, about dust in the dining room.

"They may have gotten sick, but they could have gotten sick from something they ate earlier that day or the day before," he said.

The restaurant has voluntarily hired a consultant to guide restaurant renovations, and train kitchen staff on proper food-safety requirement, said Holinko.

"We feel that the staff needs to have additional training, and that training will be a huge step toward rectifying some of the violations," said Curry.

Curry said Singapore's management will also address a plumbing issue during the temporary closure.

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He said food-safety officials rarely conclude a restaurant inspection without finding at least one violation, said Curry.

Holinko stressed restaurants regularly close temporary for routine maintenance, and that Singapore is actively working to address the Health Department's concerns.

"It's completely normal for them to close and renovate," said Holinko. "They realized it was time to get stuff done from a routine maintenance and training perspective."

Co-owner Wally Chung said the restaurant is renovating flooring and applying new paint.

He said he expects the restaurant will be open again in "a week or two."

A hand-written sign posted on the front door says Singapore is closed for renovations from Nov. 5 through Nov. 12.

Unrelated to the temporary closure, the restaurant was cited last month by the state's Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission for two liquor violations, according to documents on file at the City Clerk's office.

The ABCC found that on May 26 of this year Singapore served alcohol to an intoxicated person, and gave more than two drinks to one patron in violation of state law, according to the document.

Singapore paid a more than $7,500 penalty fine instead of a nine-day suspension of its liquor license, according to a letter dated Oct. 30.

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